It is time to start thinking about fantasy football playoffs. Yes, playoffs Jim Mora Sr.! This past NFL week saw a number of key positions open up on teams due to injuries and depth chart battles. This is a great time to start looking at upcoming matchups and key in on available players that you may be able to plug in to save or win your season. Here are just a few options available on the waiver wire that could boost your team at several weak positions.

Rock Cartwright, Washington Redskins - Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? Ladell Betts is done for the season, Clinton Portis is already ruled out for the weekend, and that leaves Rock Cartwright as the starting running back in Washington. Cartwright has been the return man for years and has broken off some big returns during his career with the Redskins. I always liked him on special teams, so I am real excited to see what he can do as a feature back. Cartwright came into the game this past Sunday and put up double-digits against the Dallas Cowboys, who have one of the most underrated rushing defenses. Cartwright was a duel threat in the running and passing game, and I would expect the same in upcoming weeks. Cartwright has a great matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles this week. The Eagles are beat up at linebacker and a back like Cartwright has big potential in the passing game against the birds. Not too mention, the Redskins play the Saints and Raiders the following weeks who are two of the most generous teams in fantasy football for running backs.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills - I was torn on Fitzpatrick and Matthew Stafford but Fitzpatrick has a much better schedule down the way for fantasy football quarterbacks, and Stafford is hurt. The Buffalo Bills are playing for their jobs right now with new leadership on the horizon. The Bills have three great quarterback matchups down the stretch, including one on Week 16 which is likely your championship game. The Bills play the Miami Dolphins this week who give up almost 25% more points than the average team to fantasy quarterbacks. Fitzpatrick also has games agains the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14 and a gift against the Atlanta Falcons on Week 16. Even Eli Manning looked good against the Falcons! Keep in mind, I wouldn’t start Fitzpatrick over half of the quarterbacks in the NFL. However, he is great insurance as you get closer to the all important championship weeks.

Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins - Here is a guy that is finally living up to his potential. Bess was a highly rated sleeper in pre season, but didn’t get many opportunities early on due to the Wildcat offense. Now with Ronnie Brown out, Miami is incorporating more passing plays in the offense and has just about all but ditched the Wildcat. Bess is getting more action by the week and caught all six of his targets last week against a good passing defense, some of which were very difficult. This guy has a ton of speed and would have already been a top receiver in another offense. The Dolphins have some great receiving matchups in upcoming weeks, although this week’s game isn’t one of them. Next week the Dolphins play the New England Patriots who surprisingly give up more points to wide receivers than you would expect. The week after, the Dolphins play the Jacksonville Jaguars who just got torched by the Buffalo Bills. How would you like to be playing your win-you’re-in-lose-you’re-out game with a receiver going up against a team that gives up almost 25% more fantasy points to wide receivers than the average NFL team? I know I would.

Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos - Scheffler was another guy who was highly regarded in the pre season that hasn’t live up to his potential on a weekly basis. However, the tight end is the most inconsistent position in fantasy football so he isn’t alone. Unless you own Dallas Clark you probably could use a boost at the position. Scheffler and the Broncos have some tremendous matchups over the next few weeks. This week the Broncos play the New York Giants who were torched by Tony Gonzalez last Sunday. The Broncos also play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16 who depending upon your scoring system, give up more points to tight ends than anyone. Once again, Scheffler is not someone I’d play on a week-to-week basis. However, he is a great guy to stick in your back pocket for your championship game in Week 16. Additionally, if you don’t grab him someone else may and it could come back to haunt you in Week 16 when you are looking at a tight end who could put double digit point on you.

Kansas City Chiefs Defense - I rarely recommend defenses, and there is a reason why. Like tight ends, defenses are extremely inconsistent unless you own the Minnesota Vikings. When you think of juggernaut NFL defenses, you aren’t thinking about the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Chiefs have a very juicy schedule for defenses in four of their remaining six games. The Chiefs have two games coming up the Denver Broncos, who give up over 45% more fantasy points to tight ends. The Chiefs also have games coming up against the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns in back-to-back weeks! On paper, they have one of the best schedules over the remaining weeks than just about any other NFL team on defense. I also think this is a team that is starting to rally around its coach and could finish real strong overall to close the season.

Make sure to check out my NFL previews every week for the not-so-obvious high fantasy recommendations.

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If I may start off with a quote from legendary sportscaster Al Michaels:
“Do you believe in miracles? YES!”

Okay, so after 2 weeks of pure torture, “The Shark” got back some swagger. Contestant Carrie DeHart gave it her all, but in the end “The Shark” finally sunk his teeth in to the victory cake! “The Shark” came away with a 3-1 record yesterday as I chose the 49ers, the Colts, and the Texans, with the only setback being the Bills (geez how bad are they, really?). Carrie on the other hand settled for just a 1-3 day, as she was let down by the Ravens, the Titans (ok I apologize to the Bills) and the Bengals who didn’t cover. Her only win came from the Giants. So after this week “The Shark” has gotten more respectable with an overall 6-6 record, while the girls fall to 7-5. It’s really heating up now, and plenty of more time to go!

Ok so now that my bragging is behind us, it’s time for what may be my favorite segment, “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down”, my weekly praise or bashing of people from the past week.

Thumbs Up:

To the entire NFL.
What a fantastic display for Breast Cancer Awareness. Ok so in a manly game like football there may not be alot of time for the color pink, but yesterday it was mixed in with class and style as the NFL showed its support for this great cause. Several players wore pink shoes, and the coaches had pink brimmed caps. Also logos were installed on jerseys and helmets.In some stadiums the cheerleaders were dressed in all pink uniforms. They always say “every little bit helps” and the NFL yesterday went all out to give it that little bit. Perhaps my biggest thumbs up ever!

To Brandon Marshall.
Sometimes we watch a boy become a man right before our very eyes. Marshalls off-season was just brutal. He was dogging it in practice, ripping his new coach, facing more law issues and was looking for more money. Head coach Josh McDaniels in so many words made it clear to him that this would not work. Marshall seemed to have taken that advice and used it to better himself.

Marshall’s work ethic has been called, “his best ever” by many teammates. Also a great moment after his 51 yard touchdown catch to beat Dallas, a true photo moment as the alleged big mouth, prima donna receiver hugged and embraced his coach. Maybe a turn for the better? Maybe with guys like Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald etc, others are learning you don’t need a big mouth to be a great receiver.

To Giants receiver Steve Smith.
In sports there is always that, “changing of the guard” moment and yesterday may have been one of those. I’m sure it’s more widely noticed to fantasy football fans, but this Steve Smith seems to have emerged as the “new” Steve Smith. With no disrespect to Carolinas version, the Giants version has stepped it up big time. 2 more TDs yesterday, along with over 100 yards receiving, and some fantastic acrobatics and runs after catch. The big question mark going into this season was who, if anyone would possibly become a player in this receiving corp. How admirable for a young man with mediocre expectations to just go out and get it done. Nice job Mr. Smith.

To the things that have stunned us so far.
Here’s to the 4-0 Broncos, the 3-1 Bengals, the 3-1 49ers, a guy named Mike Sims-Walker (what is it with Jacksonville and guys with hyphens?), the success of Kyle Orton, a quiet T.O. and all kinds of other wild stuff we have seen in the first quarter of this season. Parody is what keeps sports exciting and not knowing what you will get from one week to the next is why we truly love football!!

Oh and i’ll sneak in a 5th thumbs up to “The Shark”.
Finally got a win in his own contest and 4-0 in our fantasy football league! (cheap plug, but I deserve it).

Thumbs down:

To the entire Titans football team.
This is just a disgrace! 0-4? You have a great running back in Chris Johnson, an up and coming WR corp, 10 of the 11 starters from last years defense, and a good coach. I am totally confused as to why this team is so bad? Whatever it is, it stinks, and I won’t waste anymore of the readers time!

To the referees and the confusion of this “defenseless receiver” rule.
I am not into the violence of a guy being laid out, but come on know, it’s football. 3 different times yesterday I saw referees throw flags on defensive backs for making shoulder to shoulder hits ot shoulder to body hits. The rule states you can not lead with your helmet or go to the helmet of a receiver who can not defend himself. The calls yesterday made you think you were watching touch football. If this rule is to be in place, then these calls need to be reviewed by the booth. 2 of the 3 calls led to drives continuing and points being scored. Im for the rule, but lets call it correctly.

Bills coach Dick Jaroun.
If you are not fired by the time this story is printed, then you should be. After an impressive start on Monday Night Football, and a victory, this team has become a mess. Fred Jackson was quickly becoming one of the best backs in the game, but what do you do when Marshawn Lynch comes back from suspension? You give Jackson garbage time in a sickening looking blow-out to a winless Miami team. Terrell Owens says, “I’m just going with the plays that are called” or to interpret in my own words “hes going with the garbage plays that are called”. This team became a mess overnight, and you have to look no further then this coach who had no success as a head coach coming in. Get him out while you still can savage something.

To broadcaster Rich Gannon.
In “McNabb” type fashion, Gannon stuck his foot right in his mouth near the end of overtime during the Bengals 23-20 win over the Browns. Head coach Marvin Lewis called a timeout with just 7 seconds left in OT. Gannon replied by saying, “I just don’t get this at all, if you leave time on the clock it forces you to have to kickoff to the dangerous Josh Cribbs if you make this field goal” Really? Ever hear of sudden death overtime? The field goal would have ended the game at that point. Ok so we make mistakes and Gannon kind of chuckled at himself after realizing, but it’s such a bad error I can’t possibly let it fall unnoticed.

Don’t forget readers to check out my “Flash and Crash” fantasy football article at www.BestFantasyFootballBlog.com every Thursday, and check out my weekly NFL pick em contest, “Beat The Shark” every Friday right here at www.CamelClutchBlog.com!

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

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Read the ESPN Fantasy Football Guide 2009 week to week for tips by clicking here.

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Wow is it NFL Week 2 already? If you liked defensive football, you loved the first week in the NFL. The stories ranged from upsets, rookie sensations, veteran busts, tons of 4th quarter comebacks, to quarterback controversies. What the heck is left for NFL Week 2? Let’s break it down and get to work.

Disgruntled NFL fans and fantasy football players need to remain patient. Do not judge a team on its first week. The same goes for Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles fans. A great offensive performance in Week 1 may not mean much around Week 15. Teams can recover from 0-1 starts and still win the Super Bowl. However, an 0-3 team has never won the Super Bowl. Next week may be the week to start panicking.

Philadelphia Eagles fans will get their first look at Kevin Kolb’s first full NFL game. Kolb was the first player drafted three NFL drafts ago by the Eagles. He was taken with the intentions of replacing Donovan McNabb oh say around now. Kolb has only seen real action twice in the NFL regular season. Unfortunately for Philly fans, he has been far from spectacular in those outings. This week he starts against the almighty New Orleans Saints and the God of fantasy football Drew Brees.

I know the Eagles routed the Carolina Panthers, but I am still not a believer. Most of the points came off from the defense and special teams. McNabb had two touchdowns, but McNabb only really had one long touchdown drive. On top of that, I am sure the defense was tired after being on the hot field for lengthy amount of time. The Eagles got short fields most of the time and capitalized. Kevin Kolb was never able to take advantage of those opportunities.

Drew Brees on the other hand had a monster day. My worry as an Eagles fan is that the defense is over confident coming into Sunday’s game. I do believe the Saints are susceptible to the long ball, but Kolb is not the guy to take advantage of that. Tight Ends generally play well against the birds, and Shockey had two touchdowns last week. I predict an ugly scene in Philly and Jeff Garcia starting or playing at some point in Week 3.

The New York Jets and the New England Patriots has turned into one of the best rivalries in the NFL. The teams play one another this Sunday in a very critical division game. The Jets are flying high off of a dominating win over the Houston Texans. The Pats put on one of the greatest comebacks in MNF history against the Bills. Fans of both teams couldn’t ask for better momentum going into Sunday.

I love a Jets win here. For one thing, I am a Rex Ryan believer. He is going to attack all day long. The Jets shut down one of the best backs in the NFL last week in Steve Slaton. I can envision a Rex Ryan speech for the ages and one of the most hyped up Jets football teams you will ever see. Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller should have big days on Sunday for your fantasy fans.

The Pats are not the same Patriot team I expected to see coming into the season. The team was incredibly undisciplined on Monday night. Not only that, the penalties came on third down and extended a couple of drives that ended up in points for the Bills. A fumbled kickoff return and we may be looking at an 0-1 team. Count in the loss of Jerod Mayo and you have a Patriots team that is ripe for the pickings. I am loving some New York Jets magic on Sunday and a big upset in New York City (well New Jersey.)

The other big rivalry game opens up regular season play in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. The New York Giants travel to big D to take on the Cowboys. The Giants have a great opportunity to open up the season 2-0 in the division. Two division games back to back this early may be unfair, but the Giants have the luxury of two down early. This one will be a fun one and is the Sunday night game of the week.

The Cowboys rolled over Tampa Bay in Tampa last week. Roy E. Williams alleviated a lot of Cowboys fans with a score. Tony Romo did a great job of spreading the ball around. Even better, Romo played clutch ball scoring on an 80-yard bomb after Tampa Bay closed the scoring gap to a touchdown in the fourth quarter. In the east, New York handled Washington as they usually do at home and looked good all around in their effort.

I love the Giants in this position. Tony Romo is coming into this season with a ton of pressure. The Cowboys are opening up their stadium in the regular season and are expected to play lights out. The pressure is all on the Cowboys Sunday night. The Cowboys did play well last season at home against the Giants. However, there are things I saw in the Tampa Bay game that would scare me if I was a Dallas fan.

If you thought Cadillac Williams was dangerous, wait until the Cowboys get a double dose of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Osi Umenyiora is back and looking better than ever. Personally, I wish the two of them would just play to a tie. The Giants shut down one of the best running backs in football last week. I see them forcing Romo to go to the air and winning the turnover game. I love the season split, Giants take it in Dallas and the Cowboys take one at Giants Stadium.

A few other interesting storylines highlight NFL Week 2. If Jay Cutler was terrible against the Packers defense, how do you expect him to play against the Steelers? Other than a fluke play, the Broncos looked inept on offense and should be an easy mark for a revamped Cleveland Browns. Peyton Manning had great numbers but struggled getting points. Miami has a chance at a big day on defense. Don’t blame L.T. for the Chargers offensive line getting pushed around. Hello Baltimore!

Fun NFL Week 2 Camelclutchblog.com Fact – Bill Belichick is 5-1 against NFL rookie quarterbacks.

Fantasy Fix - This may be a week where you sit your starting quarterback for a better option. I love Mark Sanchez, but not in his first start against the Jets. I have Matt Schaub as a starter in a couple of leagues, but no way am I starting him against the Titans if I have to. The great news is that there are plenty of options on the waiver wire with juicy matchups.

Trent Edwards is a tremendous option this week against Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay stinks and that team is in complete disarray. They gave up big yardage against Dallas. Green looked real sharp last week and I’d take a shot on him. Joe Flacco is also traveling to San Diego. A better quarterback would have shredded San Diego last week. Flacco is that guy. Either one is a great play this week in this fantasy junkie’s opinion.

Like fellow blogger Jeff Porrini, I am in love with Larry Johnson this week. Ladanian Tomlinson is hurt and may or may not go. Even at 100% I would sit him against Baltimore. LJ is playing Oakland this weekend. He has had big games against them in the past. Darren Sproles was able to find openings against Oakland. If LJ can’t get going against the Raiders, he is truly done.

Fantasy Sleeper – Jeremy Shockey is a great option this week. Shockey went very low in drafts this year after doing nothing last season. He put up two scores last week but it was against the Lions. The Eagles are terrible at defending the tight end. A team with a good quarterback and tight end will shred them every time. The Eagles will probably be more concerned with the deep ball than short dumps to Shockey. I’d roll the dice with Shockey against my team as much as it pains me to say. He has a great chance to dominate the middle of the field against the Eagles safeties and linebackers.

I would like to take a second and boast about my 12-4 record last week picking straight up. Thank you, thank you. Now for the Week 2 Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots at New York Jets
New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins
Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears
Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins

CamelClutchBlog.com Fantasy Football League Standings

Division 1
Team We Own You (Erik Espenberg) 1-0
Dusty’s RedBellySpot (Eric Gargiulo) 1-0
Team Nuetral Zone (Brett Clendaniel) 0-1
Havertown Spoilers (Bryan Riegel) 0-1
Team Wheelhouse Radio! (Jeff Peck) 0-1

Division 2
1st Place (Derek Sabato) 1-0
…Not You!!! (John Yomtov) 1-0
Team The Nice Guys (jeff porrini) 1-0
Team Rowland (Justin Rowland) 0-1
The Kings of Krista (Josh Usher) 0-1

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Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

There is nothing meaningless about the NFL pre season when it comes to Fantasy Football. This is a great chance to look at players coming off injury, how players look with their new teammates, and scout how rookies will fare. Here is what I took away from this past NFL pre season.

Tom Brady will be fine. Brady was the highest drafted quarterback in some fantasy leagues. Those owners who hitched their season on Brady rarely ever recovered after he went down. The big question going into this season was whether Brady would be whether Brady would be back to form or not. Most quarterbacks aren’t back to form until their second season. Tom Brady looks like an exception to the rule.

I watched Brady twice and he looked great. His timing was perfect with his receivers, which allows Randy Moss to hold his fantasy value. It looks as if Belichick is going to continue his pass-heavy offense. I loved the fact that Brady took some hits. It shows his durability and answers any questions about whether he will be a fragile player. The last thing anyone wants is to get burnt twice in two seasons by the same player. I say draft Tom Brady high with confidence.

As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I found the pre season very telling. The team went from a pre season Super Bowl favorite to a big question mark. The offensive line looked bad, and Jason Peters looked like a turnstile. I would be very cautious about drafting Donovan McNabb. I can’t see him putting up 2008 numbers with this line. The irony is that he probably has his best set of receivers overall since playing in the NFL.

Personally, I think his value drops huge due to the Michael Vick factor. Andy Reid has been running Vick in and out of the game this pre season. Is Vick going to come in the game in red zone situations? How will this impact McNabb? Who wants a starting quarterback that is going to be pulled every time his team is within scoring? Before pre season I loved McNabb. Post-pre season, I would stay far away from him.

Everyone loves a sleeper rookie quarterback. This is where Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford come into play. Sanchez was hot and cold in the pre season. I do think he is worthy of a backup slot. The plus in Sanchez is that Dustin Keller looks like a great tight end for fantasy football. Sanchez looked for him first and I foresee a Witten-Romo relationship here in the future. Matt Stafford was unimpressive and wouldn’t make my fantasy team. If you were going to take a flier on one, I’d take Sanchez. No way would I take him as my starter.

The Buffalo Bills offense had a ton of potential with T.O. in the mix. Lee Evans could see his numbers increase greatly with Owens double-covered. I love the no-huddle offense when it comes to receivers. However, this offense is in shambles. The offensive coordinator was recently fired and made some telling statements. He said that the Bills want to run a very conservative offense. This and Owens’ “toe injury” makes T.O. drop on my list of wide receivers. I don’t even know if I’d take him as a second receiver at this point. As for Lee Evans, fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me.

The pre season gave FF players great scouting opportunities for new players on new teams. There are a ton of implications with Brett Favre joining the Vikings, T.J. Houshmandzadeh joining the Seahawks, and Jay Cutler joining the Chicago Bears. These players, the players around them, and former teammates are all impacted with the new moves. Fantasy players have some new things to think about going into this season and their drafts.

Jay Cutler was a fantasy goldmine at times last season. However, one player does not make a team. Unless Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal went with Cutler to Chicago, he won’t have the same stats. Orlando Pace looks terrible on the line which makes me very cautious about Cutler. Teams have gotten great pressure on Chicago by blitzing Pace in the pre season. Matt Forte is also going to get red zone carries, which will take scoring opportunities away from Cutler. I saw enough I needed to see this pre season to tell you that Jay Cutler will be a fantasy bust in most leagues.

Cutler’s departure in Denver also impacts Marshall and Royal greatly. Between the new quarterback and off season problems, I’d stay clear of Marshall. He doesn’t have anyone throwing to him to get last season’s numbers. It is also conceivable that a T.O. situation arises where Marshall is suspended, not traded, and off the field for a great part of the season. This makes Eddie Royal an intriguing player. Royal could be the number one this season. He is worth the risk as a late-round draft pick for that reason. As for Marshall, you have no idea who is going to be throwing to him if he is traded so draft lower with caution.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is fitting in nicely with the Seahawks. Quietly, he has had a great pre season. Matt Hasslebeck is also a sleeper in waiting with his new weapon and his tight end. Houshmandzadeh’s departure also allows Chad Ocho Cinko’s stock to rise, along with Chris Henry. T.J. and Ocho have gone late in most of my drafts. These guys are definite bargains in their average draft spots. I may also roll the dice with Hasslebeck as your starting quarterback. There is a ton of upside if he can stay healthy which is a big if.

This brings us to the Minnesota soap opera known as the Vikings. We only got to see Brett Favre play two games so there isn’t much to go on. He looked horrendous in the first game and decent in the second. I did takeaway that Percy Harvin is going to be Favre’s guy. Favre loves to lock in one receiver and he was looking for him all game in the Houston game. Although, Harvin dropping a touchdown pass makes me wonder how patient Favre will be with him throughout the season.

At the same time, the new quarterback also impacts the stock of Bernard Berrian in my opinion. You may be able to get him late, but I don’t think he is going to put up any consistent numbers. Berrian will turn out to be a waste of a roster spot with Favre under center. Favre also loves the tight end which makes Visanthe Shiancoe a fantasy commodity. He went to Shiancoe in the end zone for a touchdown in the Houston game and I’d expect plenty more of that during the season.

Other quick hits –
Jason Campbell could be a top fantasy quarterback this season
Peyton Manning is back to season form
Eli Manning needs a receiver, thus making him barely worthy of a draft pick.
The Saints offense will continue to produce big numbers.
Tony Romo is going to struggle with fantasy numbers without T.O.
DeSean Jackson is a starting fantasy wide receiver in my opinion.
LaDainian Tomlinson could be a huge problem this season for fantasy owners, while Larry Johnson could be back.
Vincent Jackson is going to have a huge year.
Stay away from anyone on the Denver Broncos offense.
Matt Ryan will continue to be a solid fantasy quarterback and will involve Tony Gonzalez in the offense.
Rex Ryan is will have a very aggressive defense in New York which makes the Jets a draftable defense.
Torry Holt will have a solid season in Jacksoville.
Nate Washington is a deep ball threat in Tennessee and will have big fantasy numbers this season.

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“NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat.” It’s an article done by every sfootballwebsite every single year. It’s talked about year-round on sports-talk radio and is quite the water-cooler conversation. The cliche line to use would be to say that 2009 won’t be any different. That idea, however, isn’t accurate at all. This 2009 season will be very, very different.

This season will be the year where a record number of coaches will be replaced. This will be the year where more winning coaches then ever find themselves on the unemployment line. Furthermore, this may even be the year that Philadelphia’s own Andy Reid finds himself in a different position at years-end. Why will all of this happen, you ask?

The 2010 Free Agent coach’s class rivals that of the quarterback Draft of 1983. The NFL Draft of 1983 saw the likes of three quarterbacks named Elway, Marino, and Kelly all taken in the first round. You may have heard those names before. Their names are no longer found in the NFL each Sunday, but rather in the Halls of Canton, Ohio. Look at the Hall of Fame worthy coaches that may be looking for work in the offseason.

Mike Shanahan. Mike Holmgren. Tony Dungy. Bill Cowher. Bill Parcells.

Those guys are just the beginning of quality coaches that will be available. John Gruden, Herm Edwards, Jim Haslett, and Jim Fassell are just a few more names of people who will be available. It’s no guarantee that all of these guys will want to come back, but it’s safe to say that most of them will interview for a chance. When you’re one of the guys above, you pretty much don’t even have to interview. You essentially decide where you want to go. These guys make it that much more difficult for these current coaches on the hot seat.

1) Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys – Very rarely is a guy who goes 22-10 in two seasons as a coach thought of as a bad fit for a job. Phillips is very different than the guy he replaced, Bill Parcells. Parcells is a hard-nosed, demanding coach to play for. Phillips is a player coach. He is what is known as a yes-man. Did you notice how different Terrell Owens was under Parcells than he was under Phillips? TO got away with quite more under Phillips and it ultimately led to the dismantling of the team. This is the year that Phillip’s must go deep into the playoffs or else he’s gone. It was long thought that Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett would be the replacement, but not anymore. Mike Shanahan seems to be the guy most often connected with this spot.

2) Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars – How exactly is Jack Del Rio still the Head Coach in Jacksonville? I don’t even know what he has really done to earn the right to stay 6 seasons there. His record over those 6 seasons is a mediocre 50-46. Del Rio was an awesome assistant coach who did a good job in turning Jacksonville around pretty quickly. All of those years of building up the team came crashing down faster than you can say “Byron Leftwich”. It should also be noted that the Jags changed GM’s this year. New GM Gene Smith was given the power to choose the 53-man roster which is normally the position of the coach. Del Rio is a dead man walking. In a division with Indianapolis, Houston, and Tennessee, it’s safe to say that Del Rio won’t be back next year after finishing in the cellar of the AFC South.

3) Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills – Like Del Rio, Jauron has over-stayed his welcome. Jauron is 21-27 with the Bills and earned a contract extension after the hot start that the team had last year. Buffalo than fell off the face of the Earth in a division that was expected to be a toss-up once Tom Brady went down for the year. Team killer Terrell Owens has been added to the mix this season and the Bills seemingly have many weapons in place on both sides of the ball. Handing all of these tools to Jauron is the Bills way of thanking Jauron for over-achieving in recent years with teams that weren’t expected to do a thing. Unfortunately, it’s a double-edged sword. Jauron must now exceed expectations with these weapons or else he’ll be seeing his way to the golf course in 2010.

4) Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals – I’m a big fan of Marvin Lewis, but Marvin should have gotten the boot a long time ago. In recent years, the Bengals have become the laughing stock of the league when player after player was hauled away in handcuffs. The Bengals finally seemed to turn a corner with Marvin at the helm a few years ago. Their offense was high-flying and one of the best units in the league. What is most perplexing, however, is how the defensive-minded genius of a head coach has never been able to have a dominating unit on defense to help the offense out a bit. I believe that Marvin has done enough to earn another head coaching spot in a better situation in the future. He’ll get that sooner rather than later if the Bengals have another dismal year.

5) Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans – Just a few years ago, Kubiak was seen as the next great head coach. He was a bright, young mind groomed by Mike Shanahan. Kubiak has taken Houston from a terrible team to a mediocre threat. There’s no doubt that the Texans have improved under Kubiak, but they’re not at the point where anyone envisioned under him. Kubiak has done a superb job with constructing the Texans roster, but they must find a way to overcome Indianapolis and Tennessee in the AFC South to keep Kubiak’s job.

So they are the five coaches who are on the hottest seat. Before I go, I mentioned earlier that this could be the year that finally becomes the end of the Andy Reid era in Philadelphia. There have been whispers during the past two seasons that the Eagles were simply not going to win that Super Bowl with Reid in charge. Many felt that the Eagles simply needed a new voice.

Now, I’m a big fan of Andy Reid. Aside from Bill Belichick, I don’t think there has been a better coach in football over the past decade. The numbers speak for themselves. Earlier this preseason, owner Jeffrey Lurie stated that the Eagles had the best roster in football. That seems a little far-fetched. It seems that it was simply Lurie’s way of letting Andy Reid know that it’s now or never.

I ignored that notion completely until Michael Vick signed with the Eagles and he showed up at the introductory press conference with Tony Dungy at his side. When Reid goes, McNabb will follow. I don’t mean that as in Reid will take McNabb with him either. It’s just that the last ten years have become the Reid/McNabb era. If one goes down, the other follows. The only way Lurie shells out the type of money that he did for Vick is if he plans on keeping him around. I could be totally off-base, but it would not shock me if #7 is running the offence in 2010 with Tony Dungy, his mentor, as the head coach.

Brett is 26 years old and from Millville, NJ. He has is a life-log fan of the Philadelphia sports teams as well as the Boston red Sox and Cincinnati Bengals. Brett is also a big fan of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. If you would like to comment on one of his stories, please e-mail him at Brettley916@aol.com

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To win in competitive fantasy football leagues, you’ve got to pay attention to the NFL players with the highest potential for sleeper value during the season. One of the reasons fantasy football is so popular is because of the excitement involved in predicting when various sleepers will break out and start producing. If you draft these players in the right round, you will reap all the benefits of drafting a player who produces above his draft position. Only fantasy owners with excellent instincts and solid experience generally see it coming so pay attention to the experts and their yearly projections.

QB Sleepers Worth Considering in the 2009 Season

First and foremost, potential QB sleepers are important to consider. Here are some of the players that have the attention of fantasy football experts this preseason.

Trent Edwards-Buffalo Bills

Edwards showed much improvement since his rookie season in 2007. Last year, he accrued over 2500+ yards and 11 touchdowns. The addition of Terrell Owens to the Bills roster bodes well for Edwards since he will now have multiple receiving options on the field. According to the 2009 Bruno Boys Quarterback “Snooze Alarm” Rankings, “The addition of Terrell Owens at wide receiver is going to change the offense dramatically. Teams will no longer be able to double team Evans and third receiver Josh Reed will now work against lower-caliber defensive backs….but perhaps the biggest bonus the Bills will receive from the addition of Owens is that he’s so good in the red zone, where Evans and Reed struggled to catch passes.” The Bruno Boys give him a ranking of 6 alarms this season.

Chad Pennington-Miami Dolphins

QB Chad Pennington has a very accurate arm, which we all got a glimpse of in 2008. He won NFL Comeback Player of the Year and racked up 3,653 yards. Also working in his favor, the Dolphins have improved their running game so Pennington should have more options this season than ever before. Third year WR Ted Ginn Jr. also has great sleeper value as well. If he can stay healthy for an entire season Pennington could produce far superior numbers this year. I believe Pennington is undervalued in most fantasy football drafts.

Josh Freeman-Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay already has Bryan Leftwich and Luke McCown on their roster, who will most likely get more playing time than Freeman in the beginning of the season. However, the fact that they chose Freeman as one of their early picks in this year’s draft tells me that he’s someone they’re banking on should Leftwich and/or McCown struggle. Rookie quarterbacks typically have poor first seasons, but there’s always a chance that he’ll do well, just look at Matt Ryan last year. FFtoolbox.com writer George Bissell states in his article 2009 Team Outlook: Tampa Bay, “Fantasy owners should keep an eye on Josh Freeman in 2009 and pick him up if he inherits the starting job.”

Matt Hasselbeck-Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck had some major physical issues in 2008 that kept him off the field so who knows what he will bring to the table in 2009? According to an article by Patrick Brian ONeill on FantasySharks.com titled Fantasy Football Sleepers – Quarterback Rankings Fantasy Football 2009, “Hasselbeck enters the 2009 season with Seattle as a huge question mark. Were the back and knee injuries a one-time deal, or are they going to be nagging him this year also?” Despite these issues the presence of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and a healthy Deion Branch will up Hasselbeck’s game. It will not surprise me if he has a break out season if his body can hold up without any problems. “I see no reason why Hasselbeck can’t post 3,500 yards and 22 TDs,” continues ONeill. Keep your eye on this QB.

These are just a few of the NFL QBs that could surprise everyone in the 2009 football season. The preseason games will offer even more insight into the value of potential sleepers. Good luck with your fantasy football drafts and may your teams dominate in all your fantasy leagues!

About the Author
Jason McCoy, aka “The Real McCoy”, is owner and creator of the fantasy football web site http://www.Stinkball.com. Stinkball.com offers “loser league” style fantasy football contests. At Stinkball.com your team is rewarded for sacks, fumbles and interceptions. Predict the worst performances and win. Play in private and public leagues with your friends. This unique take makes Stinkball a new, exciting challenge for fantasy sports enthusiasts.

Get a new Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Jersey by clicking here.

Grab a Brett Favre Alternate Reebok NFL Replica Minnesota Vikings Jersey now by clicking here.

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

Use Fantasy Football Commissioner for all of your FF needs at www.fflcommish.com/.

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.